In a lithography process for production of a semiconductor device, a technology of forming a resist pattern in a desired shape by providing a resist underlayer film before formation of a photoresist film has been known. The following Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a resist underlayer film-forming composition prepared using a fullerene derivative. In the fullerene derivative used in the invention described in Patent Document 2, it is known that an adduct (modified group) is decomposed by heating to produce a carboxyl group. Specifically, when a solution containing a fullerene derivative having the adduct (modified group) is applied and baked at a temperature at which the adduct (modified group) is decomposed, the carbon content ratio of a film to be formed can be increased as compared with that before decomposition.
In conventional formation of a resist underlayer film from a resist underlayer film-forming composition containing a fullerene derivative, the resist underlayer film-forming composition is applied to a substrate, and the substrate is baked on a hot plate at a temperature of 180° C. to 400° C. for a predetermined time, to form the resist underlayer film. The baking is carried out in the air.